INDIANAPOLIS — Tom Izzo of Michigan State and Mike Krzyzewski of Duke have been teaching young men how to play basketball for decades.

Yesterday, the two coaching legends demonstrated why they’re so good: They stay loose.

Instead of getting tense and out of sorts the day before the Midwest Regional’s well-hyped coaching matchup, the pair took turns praising the other’s style, his loyalty to his school and his team’s penchant for limiting mistakes. Then they turned around and poked fun at themselves and their families.

It was basketball at its most polite.

“I consider him a great friend. There’s nothing about Tom that I don’t think is good. If we lose to them, believe me, I’ll hug him and shake his hand, and he’ll do the same for me. I like that,” said Krzyzewski, the NCAA Division I record-holder with 956 career wins. “I think it’s more the way it used to be in coaching, and probably we both had great teachers in that regard and were brought up a certain way where we understand the game is bigger than anybody.”

There might not be a more compelling coaching duel in this year’s tournament.

In 33 seasons at Duke, Krzyzewski has gone to 11 Final Fours, the most among active coaches. He is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to win at least four national championships. The last time Krzyzewski faced Michigan State, the Blue Devils gave him a 74-69 win that broke Bob Knight’s career record for wins.

“I guess if you’ve got to be famous, who cares what the reason is,” Izzo said, drawing laughter. “Yet I look at it too that if we had to lose to somebody that was doing something special, the class and the way he has done things over time, his staff, his recruiting — we’ve had to recruit against him a few times, and it’s always fair and up and up. We usually lose, but we’re trying to make some progress.”

Izzo has done a pretty good job in his own right. He owns a school-record 439 career wins in 18 seasons at Michigan State and won a national title in 2000.

Both come into this game focused first on defense, though Duke (29-5) has been slightly more proficient on offense and Michigan State (27-8) slightly more physical. Both can rely on high-scoring big men — Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly for the Blue Devils and Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne for the Spartans — to carry them.

But what most people will be watching tonight is the strategy coming from the sideline.

“I’m going to enjoy it because it’s like a Final Four game. It might be better than a Final Four game,” former Virginia and Xavier coach Pete Gillen said. “I’d pay to see this one, and I’m tight as a clam.”